Spotlight



April 29, 1930. G. w. ALDEEN SPOTLIGHT Filed Feb. 12, 1927 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 otrs GEDOR W. ALDEEN, OF ROCKFORI), ILLINOS, ASSGNOR TO FYR-AC MANUFACTURING CO., OF ROCKFOR-D, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SPOTLIGHT Application led February 12, 1927. Serial No. 167,633.

This invention relates to light projecting apparatus of various types, but more particularly to a spotlight adapted to be mounted in an automobile windshield so that the light may be manipulated from within the car for projection of the beam in any desired direction.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a spotlight which will have a wide range of adjustment so that the beam of light may be swung through a wide arc and when in its extreme positions may be projected in a direction substantially parallel with the plane of the windshield for facilitating the pickingup and'reading of sign posts, house numbers and the like by the oc-` cupants of the car when such sign posts etc. are in a position perpendicular to the direction of the motion of the car. In this con` nection this application is a continuation in art of my copending application Serial No. 709,131, nieu April 26, 1924.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement for adjusting the position of the lamp with respect to the focus of a light reiiecting member in conjunction therewith, whereby the beam may be narrowed for long distance projection, or broad# ened for short distance projection, or varied any other way for any desirable purpose.

A further object is to provide a novel electrical contact mechanism for lights of the above specified characters and one which will maintain electrical contact with the lamp base contact button regardless of the positionYV to which the lamp may be adjusted by the focus adjusting device.

Many further objects including the details of construction, the arrangement and cooperative relation of parts, and the many advantages inherent in or accruing from the invention will be or should become readily appreciated after perusal of the following description and claims and after viewing the drawings in which Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a spotlight of the windshield type embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to the section of Fig. 1 with somel of the parts broken away land drawn .on a large scale to more clearly illustrate the focus adjusting mechanism, and y Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a preferred form of contact making device.

As aforestated the light illustrated is a spotlight nadapted for manipulation from` within a car body and for such purpose is mounted in the car, windshield designated 2 in a housing 3 which may be of any preferred construction, such for instance as that tially universal movement of the stem may."v

be substituted for the corresponding parts illustrated. Y

Y A handle 6 is suitably mounted on one lend of the tubular stem 5, that is, the end which projects from the mounting on the interior side of the windshield and is secured there-v on by means of a screw 7 whereby the stem may be moved substantially universally. The opposite end of the stem -isadapted toctelescopically receive an elbow sleeve, bracket or lamp` supporting member 8, one-endV of which is preferably reduced as shown at 9 for` reception in a recess provided abou-tjthest'em within the ball member 4 and the other end of which, 11, may either be integral with or suitably secured to` a reflector 12 which is closed at its outer side by a lens 13. The

bracket or elbow sleeve member 8 is hollow at both ends, at the end adjacent the reflector for the reception of a lamp base receiving socket 14C and at the other for the Vreception of the end of the tubular stem 5, as previous-Ky Y' i Y ly noted.

The lamp is provided with one or more. bayonet slots 15 in ythe usual manner forengagementwith base Vreceiving socket'member 14 projections formed on the sides of the lamp Y base-16 which is secured on the base of the lamp 17 and is slidably mounted within the end 11 of the sleeve or bracket 8 so that the position of the lamp 17 secured therein mayV be adjusted with respect to the focus of the reflector 12. For the purpose of moving the lamp base socket member 14 back and forth within the sleeve ,or bracket for adjustment the Asocket member is preferably formed of cup-'shape with a segment ofY theV bottom cnt away for the purpose of providing an en` trance for the end of a contact member gen` erally designatedlS, thereby leaving a portion which I shall term a lip 19, which is drilled and tapped for engagement with a screw 21 which is rotatably but longitudinally immovably secured inthe bracket 'or sleeve Y 81,.'a`s more clearly shown in Fig.r 2. The

screw 21 is preferably provided with an integral collar which bears at one yside against a shoulder 23 formed the end of a recess 24 and at its 'other side against a washer 2o held in the recess by suitably burring over outer" portions of the walls ofthe bracket', as

shown at 26. vOther methods of securing ythe' Y screw in position will occurjto those skilled in theart and other means other than a screw may be utilized for effecting my purpose. As the screw Vis rot-ated in one direction or Vthe otherl the lamp base 'receiving socket 14 will be slid back and forth within the end 11 of the sleeve or bracket and thereby adjust the lamp 17 and therefore the source of light lto anyV desirable position with respect to the focus of the reflector; It will also be noted frein the foregoing i thatV by reason of the angular relation of the aXis of the 'end 11 of the sleeve or bracket 8v with respect to the axis of the stein 7 swing ing movements of the stem by manipulation of the handle will correspondingly swing the Y reflector so that the laXi's of a beam of light projected by the reflector may lie in a plane substantially parallel the plane of the windshield or other member in which the light is mounted. Since the ball 4in the present illustrated embodiment of the invention may be rotated about the axis of lthe stem by cor# responding rotarymoveinent lof the handle, the axis of the beam of light may be directed with its a'Xis inr a` plane parallel to the plane of thewindshield and to any direction therein. This is the normal and desirable position of the light in -anyevent, since the light is employed in city driving for illumination of the curb line, locating housev numbers, street naines and the like, and in country driving ing drivers is not only undesirable but in many jurisdictions is prohibited by law. Consequently, the disposition of the light at an for illuminating the edge Lof the road, looking for signs at the sides of the road. etc.l Furthermore, projection of the light rays straight into the eyes of approach- Y angle to the longitudinal axis of the stein;

permits the projection of the light beam along the right hand edge of the road without the necessity of moving the handle of the light into aposition at a sharp angle to the windshield.

The light is not only normally disposed in Y observed that when the light is angled by swinging the handle upwardly in the plane of the paper, that is, away from one, viewing theV illustration in proper reading position, the light itself will beso disposed that the be'ain will be projected ,toward onean'd sub-U stantially parallel l.with the plane of the windshield 2. When it is desired to project the light in the oppositedirection this vmay e be readily accomplished by simply moving and rotating the handle'through lan angle of 180'. e 1

Electric current forf the vlamp is-supplied through wires 27 which pass through a suit'- able opening in the handle Vinto aswitch.-

rlhis switch comprises a generally cylindrical jA block of insulation 28 rotatably mounted in the tubular stein 5 and cut away at one end,

as shown at v29, so that the ends ofthe wires Y 27 may be suitably connected to Contact elements 31 and 32 arranged in conjunctioii` therewitlnand a second substantially cylindrical block of Vinsulating niaterialcarrying contacting element 18V is slidably but nonrotatably mountedy in the stern" 5 through the int'eren'g'agement of a depressed portion 34 of the stein with a slot 35 Vformedflongitudinally in the block. The Contact element V18'is preferably provided with a bent end 36 for sliding but continuous contact with the t buttoncontact 37 Aformed on the'base oftheA lamp and Vatrits opposite end is T-shape, as

shown at 38 for a purpos'ewhich will herein-Y after appear. Tliecontact element 18 is secured in the block 33 in any suitable manA` ner and moves therewith asthe latter slides back and forth in apparent.

block 28 and is spring pressed outwardly by a spring 39 abutting between a 'cupped collar 41 andan internal shoulder formed in the ,bere of the block, rlhe outer end 42 ofthe contact member 31 is forked as will be noted,

such position the forked'ends ofthe element 31 makes contact 'wit-hf, the T-h'ead 38 the stem, as will become The contact element 31 is slidably mounted within an axial bore inthe A the circuit, but f A when the switch, collar 43 is rotated 900 from ma sie of the element 18 and complete the circuit.

The spring 39, by reason of the construction and arrangement described above, serves several functions, one of which is to keep the contact element 31 in tight engagement with the contact element 18 orwith the block of insulation 33, depending upon how it is disposed, and another of which is to keep the alock 33 and contact element 18 in its farthest forward position within the sleeve like stem 5, as determined by the abutment of the end 36 of the element 18 with the button 37 on the lamp base. As the screw 21is rotated to vadjust the focus of the lamp a contact between the bottom 37 and contact element 18 will be maintained, the contact element-'18 with the block 33 riding back and forth within the stem for this purpose.

From the foregoing itl will be appreciated that I have provided a device attaining all of the objects specifically mentioned, as well as others corollary thereto and a device having many desirable advantagesl all of which may be attained by constructions and arrangements other described herein. Consequently, I do not desire to be limited to the specific construction which I at present consider a preferred form of my invention, but only by the spirit of the invention and the scopel of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising, a reflector, a hollow elbow bracket having one arm extending from the rear of said reflector and secured relatively thereto and having another arm arranged at an oblique angle to the first arm, a lamp socket member slidably mounted in the first said arm, means engaged with said bracket for sliding said socket member back and forth in said bracket whereby to adjust the focus of a lamp with respect to said reflector, means mounted in said second arm slidable at an l voblique angle to the axis of said socket member for maintaining electrical contact withv a lamp carried by said socket during movements of the latter, and a spring in said second arm for urging said contact means toward said lamp.

2'. A device of the character described comprising, a refiector having a lamp base receiving opening therethrough, means for supporting said reflector solely from the rear thereof, a. lamp base receiving socket slidably connected to said supporting means and movable with respect to said reflector along the axis of said opening, means engaged with said supporting means for moving said socket v along said axis relatively to said reflector,

means including a hollow arm connected to the reflector supporting means for mounting the reflector in movable relation to a vehicle,

means mounted in said arm slidable at an oblique angle to the axis of said socket for than that illustrated and maintaining electrical contact with a lamp carried by said socket during movements of the latter, the axis of said arm being oblique to the axis of said socket, and a spring in said second arm for urging said contact means toward said lamp. i

3. A device of the character described comprising, a reflector, a hollow elbow bracket having one arm extending from the rear of said reflector and secured relatively thereto and having another arm arranged at an oblique angle to the first arm, a lamp socket member slidably mounted in the first said arm, means engaged with said bracket for sliding said socket member back and forth in said bracket whereby to adjust the focus of a lamp with respect to said reflector, means mounted in said second arm slidable at an oblique angle to the axis of said socket member for maintaining electrical contact with an end electrode on a lamp carried by said socket during movements of the latter, and a spring in said second arm for urgingcsaid contact means toward said lamp.

l. A device of the character described comprising, a reflector having a lamp base receiving opening therethrough, means for support-ing said reector solely from the rear thereof, a lamp base receiving socket slidably connected to said supporting means and movable with respect to said reflector along the,

axis of said opening, means engaged with said supporting means for moving said socket! along said axis relatively to said reflector, means including a hollow arm connected to the reflector supporting means for mounting the reflector in movable relation to a vehicle, means mounted in said arm'slidable at an oblique angle to the axis of said socket for maintaining electrical contact with an end electrode on a lamp carried by said socket during movements of the latter, the axis of said arm being oblique to the axis of said socket, and a spring in said arm for urging said contact means toward said lamp.

In Vwitness of the foregoing I aliix my signature.

GED OR W. ALDEEN. 

